The REAL in Real Estate

Tune in to this episode of the Real in Real Estate Podcast as host Jean focuses on the choice between buying versus renting a home, dispelling common market myths for first-time buyers. The episode breaks down the financial realities of mortgage payments versus rent, demonstrating how interest rate fluctuations affect monthly payments and why waiting for the "perfect" interest rate can cost buyers long-term wealth.

4 Things You Will Learn

• You Do Not Need a 20% Down Payment: Down payments can be as low as 3.5%, 5%, or 10%, and zero-down loan programs exist beyond just options for veterans or specialized professions.
• "Marry the House, Date the Interest Rate": Interest rates from the COVID era (2–3%) are unlikely to return. Instead of waiting on the sidelines and missing out on property, you can buy now and refinance if rates drop later.
• Homeownership Builds Wealth Through Equity: Monthly mortgage payments build personal equity and net worth over time, whereas rent payments permanently go into a landlord's pocket.
• Starter Homes Don't Need to Be Million-Dollar Dream Houses: Options like condos or townhouses offer lower maintenance and lower price points, allowing you to enter the market, build equity for a few years, and upgrade later.

Connect with the Podcast

• Subscribe and Review: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to stay up-to-date with all the latest episodes.
• Explore Lender Options: For more information on mortgage comparisons and finding the right interest rates, explore options and work with lenders like Blink Lending.

Tune in to Episode 92 of the Real in Real Estate Podcast as host Jean brings together an expert panel—mortgage loan officer Ben Shores, affordable housing specialist LaTisha Grant, and realtor Claudia Russo—to dispel widespread real estate myths and explain how everyday renters can achieve homeownership. The conversation highlights actionable strategies to overcome financial barriers, from zero-down loan programs to massive down payment assistance, while emphasizing the importance of starting with a modest property to build long-term equity and wealth.

4 Things You Will Learn

• Flexible Financing Eliminates the 20% Down Payment Myth: You do not need a 20% down payment or high income to buy a home. Buyers can utilize 100% financing programs that carry no income limits or location restrictions, or leverage down payment assistance (DPA) up to $150,000 to bridge the price gap between what they qualify for and current market rates.
• Underutilized Assistance Programs Can Fund Your Home & Furnishings: Up to 75% of eligible Texans do not take advantage of available housing assistance funds. Tailored programs exist for various income brackets—including fast-food workers, school paraprofessionals, and Section 8 renters converting into homeowners. Available aid includes Harris County discounts up to 45% on sales prices, dollar-for-dollar IDA savings matches, and Section 8 Family Self-Sufficiency checks (up to $53,000) that buyers can keep after closing.
• Starter Homes Are the Stepping Stone to Generational Wealth: Instead of waiting for a dream home or paying high monthly rent that profits a landlord, purchasing a starter property (such as a condo or townhouse) allows you to accumulate equity and property appreciation right away. This equity serves as a financial catalyst, enabling you to upgrade in the future or retain your first property as a rental to start building a real estate portfolio.
• Expert Guidance Helps Overcome Fears of Repairs and Hidden Costs: Uncertainties around insurance, maintenance, and interest rates often stem from a lack of information rather than actual roadblocks. Working with full-time real estate professionals ensures buyers can utilize residential service agreements (home warranties) to handle repairs, understand the wealth benefits of an appreciating home, and navigate the market with realistic expectations.

Connect with the Experts

• Ben Shores (Mortgage Loan Officer, First Community): Call or text 281-798-4712 or visit FCCU.org (NMLS: 217323).
• LaTisha L. Grant (Executive Managing Broker, TAS Realty Group): Reach her at 713-929-3411 (Office) or 832-528-5706 (Mobile), email [email protected], or visit www.tasrealtygroup.com.
• Claudia Russo (Realtor Associate, Trilogy Realty Group): Call 281-217-4396, email [email protected], or visit www.trilogyrealtygrouptx.com.

Can you build a real estate business without cold calling, purchased leads, or sales scripts? Rachel Kilmer sold 231 homes and over $75 million in volume in her first five years using two things: the people she already knew, and consistent social media content

Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Rachel Kilmer, known as Rach the Realtor, to break down the systems behind a referral based real estate business.

In this episode you will learn:

- Why you should post for the people who already know you instead of chasing followers, and why a video that gets 25 views beats a Saturday open house

- How to pick the one social platform you already scroll, learn its trends, and use repurpose.io to push that content out to six others automatically

- The annual referral plan Rachel prints as a poster and hangs in her garage: three to five client events, ten postcards, and regular pop by visits

- How a $300 photos with Santa event built a database she is still marketing to six years later

Rachel Kilmer is a Kansas City area agent and coach who started her career in sports broadcasting. She has more than 22,000 TikTok followers and is on pace to sell about 75 homes this year. Her coaching program, Rach the Realtor Coaching Collaborative, is a $99 per month subscription that includes her template library, a monthly live call, weekly Mini Pod Monday episodes, and an Ask the Chat community.

Connect with Rachel: @RachTheRealtorKC on TikTok and Instagram. Coaching: @RTRCCO. The link in her bio includes a repurpose.io discount.

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Show Notes:

Think you need 20% down to buy a home in Texas? You don't. A true 100% zero down loan exists right now, and it is open to any buyer purchasing a primary residence -- no income limits, no location restrictions, no requirement to be a first-time buyer, a veteran, or a doctor.

Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Ben Shores of First Community Credit Union to walk through exactly how this loan works, who qualifies, and how buyers are walking to the closing table with little to nothing out of pocket.

What you will learn:

• ✅ Who qualifies for 100% financing and what the credit score floor actually is (700 -- not 780, not 800)
• ✅ How combining zero down with seller concessions can get you to closing with almost nothing out of pocket
• ✅ Why this loan is not just for first-time buyers -- and how to use it as a starting point for building a rental portfolio
• ✅ How self-employed borrowers can qualify using bank statements instead of tax returns

Ben Shores is a mortgage lender with First Community Credit Union and has 25 years of experience in the industry. He works with buyers across Texas on conventional, alternative, and investment financing -- and attends his closings personally.

Phone: 281-798-4712

Email: [email protected]

Note: You do not need to be a credit union member to use Ben's services.

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

If you want to build a real estate portfolio but are stuck on income documentation or down payment requirements, DSCR loans and zero-down programs might be exactly what you need. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Ben Shores, a mortgage expert at First Community Credit Union with over 25 years of experience, to break down the financing strategies most buyers and investors never hear about.

What you'll learn:

✔️ How DSCR loans work: qualify based on rental income -- not paystubs or tax returns -- making them ideal for real estate investors

✔️ Why keeping your current home as a rental when you move up could be one of the smartest wealth-building moves you make

✔️ How to fund an investment property down payment by pulling equity from your current home, borrowing against your 401k, or cash-out refinancing

✔️ A 100% financing program for everyday buyers: no down payment, no income limits, not restricted to first-time buyers -- and you can come to closing with zero dollars if you get a 3% seller contribution

Ben Shores is a mortgage expert at First Community Credit Union with over 25 years in the lending industry, specializing in strategic mortgage solutions for buyers and real estate investors in Texas.

Connect with Ben:

Phone: 281-798-4712

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

In a high-rate market where traditional financing feels out of reach, seller financing and creative deal structures are opening doors that most buyers and investors don't even know exist. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Chris Prefontaine, a real estate coach and investor with nearly 35 years of experience, to break down his Three Paydays system and why today's market conditions are uniquely suited for creative financing.

What you'll learn:

✔️ Why stricter bank regulations and higher rates are actually creating more opportunities for creative financing deals -- for both buyers and sellers

✔️ How the Three Paydays system works: get paid upfront from the buyer's down payment, monthly from cash flow, and on the back end from principal paydown and markup

✔️ What the real timeline looks like when transitioning from W-2 to full-time real estate investing -- and the mindset required to stay the course

✔️ Practical ways to use AI in real estate: checking comps, reviewing sales calls, and generating content scripts faster

Chris Prefontaine is a real estate coach, author, and podcast host based in Newport, Rhode Island. With nearly 35 years in real estate, he is a Forbes Business Council member and three-time Inc. 5000 honoree. He specializes in creative financing and runs a nationwide coaching program helping investors build long-term wealth through seller financing strategies.

Connect with Chris:

Free blueprint and books: threepaydaysbooks.com

Website: smartrealestatecoach.com

Podcast: smartrealestatecoachpodcast.com

YouTube: Search "Smart Real Estate Coach"

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Breaking through an income plateau in real estate rarely comes down to a better script or a new lead source. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Kevin Yoder, a 25-year real estate sales veteran and mindset coach, to break down why your self-image acts as an internal thermostat that controls exactly how much success you allow yourself to have.

What you'll learn:

✔️ Why your self-image functions like a thermostat, regulating the energy you project and the clients you attract -- regardless of your strategy

✔️ What creates "invisible income ceilings" even for hard-working, driven agents and team leaders

✔️ How to identify a massive, inspiring goal that is truly yours -- free from family expectations or social pressure

✔️ How small, consistent daily actions compound over time to permanently rewire limiting self-beliefs

Kevin Yoder is a real estate team leader and identity strategist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with 25 years in real estate sales. He now runs Infinite U, a coaching program focused on self-image upgrades for lasting growth.

How to reach Kevin:

Websites: getinfiniteu.com (Infinite U coaching), imageupgradenow.com (free self-image PDF), soldbyyoder.com, yoderresults.com

Social: YouTube and Facebook -- search "Infinite by Kevin" | LinkedIn -- Kevin Yoder, Real Estate Team Leader and Mindset Coach

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Most real estate investors overlook land -- but national home builders spend millions figuring out exactly where to buy next. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Brandon Cobb of HBG Capital to break down how everyday investors can reverse-engineer those decisions and get into land development before the big builders arrive.

What you'll learn:

✔️ How to find land by tracking where national builders like D.R. Horton are already developing -- they've done the market research, so target land in those same corridors

✔️ Why sitting down with local planning directors and city council members is the fastest way to identify what areas a city actually wants developed

✔️ The two golden rules of land entitlement: never buy land before securing city approvals, and always design with your end buyer in mind

✔️ How Brandon went from being fired from a medical device sales job to building a private equity firm focused on land entitlement and new construction

Brandon Cobb is the founder of HBG Capital, a private equity firm specializing in land entitlement, land development, and new construction. He also runs the Land Development Accelerator mastermind and hosts the Recession Resistant Real Estate Radio podcast.

Connect with Brandon:

Website: learnlanddevelopment.com (free six-hour course on finding land, due diligence, and raising money)

Company: HBG Capital -- investor-facing private equity for land and new construction projects

Podcast: Recession Resistant Real Estate Radio

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

VA loans are one of the most underutilized mortgage benefits available to veterans, and outdated myths are largely to blame. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Eric Bernstein, president and co-founder of LendFriend Mortgage, to debunk the most common misconceptions about VA loans and show Texas veterans and their agents how to use this benefit effectively.

What you'll learn:

✔️ Why VA appraisals are not deal-killers -- and what listing agents consistently get wrong about the VA appraisal process

✔️ The zero-down advantage of VA loans and how to position VA offers so sellers take them seriously

✔️ How veterans can use their VA loan benefit more than once, including in situations most people don't realize qualify

✔️ What real estate agents need to know to confidently guide veteran clients through the home buying process in Texas

Eric Bernstein is the president and co-founder of LendFriend Mortgage and one of the leading voices on VA loan education. His site features a learning center with over 200 blog posts, including roughly 30 articles dedicated to VA loan nuances.

Connect with Eric: lendfriendmtg.com

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmsoIfM76w

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

If you're a Texas homeowner and haven't filed a property tax protest, you're almost certainly overpaying. Host Jean Mitchell of Trilogy Real Estate sits down with Mickey Le, a property tax expert and partner at Ad Valorem Tax Management with 30 years of experience, to walk through everything you need to know before the May 15th deadline -- especially in Harris County.

What you'll learn:

✔️ Why you should protest your property taxes every single year -- and why not protesting almost guarantees you're leaving money on the table

✔️ The key deadlines: appraisal notices go out around April 17th in Harris County, and you have until May 15th to file your protest

✔️ How to request the county's own evidence 14 days before your hearing -- and what errors to look for, like misclassified living space or unfair comparable sales

✔️ Why contractor estimates for foundation or roof issues are powerful evidence, and how to check that your Homestead, Over-65, or Disabled Veteran exemptions are correctly applied

Mickey Le is a property tax consultant and partner at Ad Valorem Tax Management in Houston, Texas, with 30 years of experience helping homeowners reduce their property tax bills across Texas.

Connect with Mickey:

Phone: 713-977-4197

Email: [email protected]

Subscribe to The REAL in Real Estate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.